First Time
by Snapplelinz
Summary: Now that Carly and Shelby are officially a couple, having overcome certain obstacles in their path along the way, they are finally ready to take that next step in their relationship. A Sharly femslash.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey, everybody! I hope you're all having a fantabulous week so far. Mine has improved a great deal since my internet got fixed at home, which is the reason for this story getting delayed (rat bastards!) As promised, this is an M-rated 3-shot (which was supposed to be a oneshot) for the follow-up to my Sharly fic, "Up Close With Shelby Marx". In case anyone's wondering, this story and UCWSM is set pre-iSaved Your Life for Freddie's specific response to Carly and Shelby's new romantic relationship. With that mind, I hope you enjoy this. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly or the various characters depicted in this story. **

* * *

"Shelby, come on!" Carly pleaded impatiently.

"Just one more round, Carly…" Shelby chided with all the enthusiasm of a child waiting for her presents on Christmas Eve.

"No, you said you were wrapping up already!"

"And I will. Just give me 5 minutes."

"You said that 10 minutes ago!" Carly fumed in an annoyed tone.

"Alright! Someone's in a hurry to start the evening." Shelby retorted laughingly.

"Of course I am. It's not every day that I get to celebrate a 3-month anniversary with my girlfriend." Carly pointed out with a small smile on her face.

"I still wish you would've let me take you out to dinner to celebrate properly." Shelby grumbled lightly while smashing her punching bag with her boxing gloves.

"I told you, I don't need to go anywhere fancy; I just wanna be with you, Shelby. Besides, you're always doing thoughtful things for me. Tonight, I wanna treat you special by making you a nice home-cooked meal at my place." Carly answered truthfully.

Shelby stopped punching the bag momentarily and turned to face Carly while removing her boxing gloves.

"How did I get so lucky to find someone like you who loves me for me?" she asked in awe while stroking Carly's cheek lightly with her hand.

"We both got pretty lucky in that respect. But I am kinda awesome." Carly teased with a broad grin on her face.

"Really awesome." Shelby amended softly, her brown eyes focused on the love of her life.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Good. Now go take a shower so we can finally get out of here." Carly chided sternly.

Shelby chuckled at the scowl on her girlfriend's face and shook her head. It was true, Carly had already been at 'The Jungle Gym' for close to an hour now, waiting for Shelby to finish her training for the day. Shelby hadn't meant to keep Carly waiting indefinitely; working out was just an innate part of her schedule, of her life as she knew it. She spent nearly every waking hour at the gym in-between her fighting schedule, save for the past few months that she'd spent in her girlfriend's company while exploring their new-found romance. Shelby knew that Carly understood how important training was to her; but if she still wanted to have a relationship with the feisty brunette by the end of the night, then she was gonna have to stop working out in the next few seconds. As much as Shelby enjoyed her training sessions, she liked spending time with her beautiful girlfriend more. And she loved the days when she could coax Carly into working out with her for the day above all else.

"Okay, I'll go take a shower. But on one condition." Shelby stated in a mysterious tone.

"What's that?" Carly asked curiously.

"Take a shower with me." Shelby suggested playfully, her mouth curled into a mischievous grin.

In spite of her grimace, Carly's heart was practically thumping in her chest at Shelby's proposal. It wasn't like they hadn't showered together before. In fact, their early romance had once started with a shower that had quickly turned very steamy. In the first few weeks of dating, Carly and Shelby had taken things very slowly as far as limiting themselves to holding hands, hugging, kissing and cuddling for the most part. And they had finally reached that point where both of them wanted to do more. It had been building up slowly between them; every time they were together and things got just a little more heated than usual, one or both of them would break off before things went too far. But the more time they spent together, the more Carly found herself wanting to take that next step with Shelby.

"Any excuse to get me naked, huh?" Carly teased airily with a wide smile on her face.

"Get your head out of the gutter, Shay. Did you ever consider that I just like spending as much time as I can with you?" Shelby asked, feigning indignation as she moved closer to Carly.

"That thought didn't actually cross my mind at all," Carly murmured delicately, her fingertips dancing across the smooth planes of Shelby's shoulder blades.

"And what a beautiful mind you have," Shelby whispered slowly while kissing Carly's forehead.

"Hey! What about the rest of me?" Carly demanded with a pout with her hands on her hips.

"The rest of you is pretty damn good too," Shelby purred lightly before her lips connected with Carly's.

It wasn't long before Carly's hands had fallen limply to her sides while Shelby's lips moved feverishly against hers. She couldn't even remember what she had planned on saying or doing before Shelby kissed her. Carly's hands eventually wrapped around Shelby's neck, their lips meeting in a mutual duel meshed with the heat and desperation of the moment. When Shelby eventually pulled away, Carly was confused at the frown on her girlfriend's face.

"What's wrong?" Carly asked curiously.

"You're definitely gonna need a shower now that you're covered in my sweat." Shelby murmured sheepishly.

It was Shelby's turn to look confused when Carly began chuckling softly while biting her bottom lip.

"What's so funny?" Shelby questioned in bewilderment.

"You. Worrying about getting sweat all over me." Carly replied simply.

"Well, doesn't it gross you out?" Shelby queried hesitantly.

"I have a little confession…" Carly whispered slowly, being sure to wrap her arms even more tightly around Shelby's waist.

"I've kinda been fantasising about the idea of being covered in your sweat for the longest time." she continued tantalisingly.

"Seriously? How long are we talking here?" Shelby asked innocently, her fingers absent-mindedly trailing along Carly's forearm while she spoke.

"Pretty much since that time you hugged me when I came to see you here. When I asked you to help me pass Gym." Carly responded earnestly.

"Since then? I thought I creeped you out back then," Shelby mused seriously.

"You only freaked me out a little 'cause I thought you might still wanna punch me in the head. But you never creeped me out, not once." Carly admitted delicately while staring deep into Shelby's brown eyes.

"So being covered in sweat doesn't creep or gross you out in the least?" Shelby questioned in awe, her lips millimetres away from Carly's.

"As long as it's your sweat covering my body, I definitely don't have a problem with that." Carly replied smoothly, her lips brushing against Shelby's in a teasing manner.

"You are a super freak, Carly Shay." Shelby teased lightly with a wide grin before planting a chaste kiss on Carly's lips.

"If I agree with you, can we go please go shower so we can finally get out of here?" Carly questioned while tugging impatiently on Shelby's hand and dragging her towards the exit.

"Any excuse to get me naked, huh?" Shelby shot back cleverly, causing Carly to roll her eyes as they left the spacious room hand in hand.

* * *

It took a relatively short amount of time for the two of them to get undressed and step into the shower together. In spite of their previous flirty banter, both Carly and Shelby managed to keep their activities in the shower on a strictly 'cleansing' level for the most part as they soaped each other and rinsed off. Things only became light-hearted towards the end of the shower when Carly had Shelby in front of her while helping her rinse shampoo out of her hair.

"Hold still," Carly chastised playfully, directing Shelby's body underneath the shower nozzle to get rid of the shampoo residue.

"Wow, you're bossy." Shelby mocked lightly while smiling broadly.

"Someone's gotta make sure that all the shampoo gets washed out. You don't wanna be walking around with ultra itchy hair, do you?" Carly questioned reprovingly while her hands moved through Shelby's hair.

"That's what I love about you; you're always taking care of me." Shelby murmured sincerely, her eyes locked on her girlfriend.

Somewhere between helping Shelby rinse off, Carly's hands had unconsciously moved towards Shelby's cheeks, her fingertips running along the bumps in Shelby's cheek bones. The action reminded her of a recent memory that took her breath away. But it wasn't the memory of a fight where Shelby had gotten knocked out during one of the rounds. This concerned another fight which had occurred several weeks ago, causing a tight knot to form in Carly's stomach at the memory. Shelby noticed the subtle change in Carly's demeanour and her eyes reflected her worry.

"You okay?" she asked gently, staring intently into her dark brown eyes.

"Sorry, guess I just blacked out there for a moment." Carly responded with a sheepish chuckle, not quite meeting Shelby's gaze.

"Carly, what's wrong?" Shelby pressed in a more serious tone, her hands going towards Carly's shoulders and giving them a reassuringly squeeze.

Carly sighed loudly and buried her face in the crook of Shelby's neck.

"I'm just thinking about Freddie." She confessed dejectedly.

This announcement caused Shelby to sigh in response too. She was unsurprised that the conversation had taken such an unexpectedly serious turn; almost all of hers and Carly's conversations had somehow ended up revolving around Freddie of late.

"You can't keep punishing yourself like this. It's not your fault, Carly." Shelby answered genuinely.

"How can you say that, Shelby? He's my best friend and I've broken his heart in the worst possible way." Carly protested weakly.

"He'll get through this in time. He will get over you, Carly." Shelby countered in an unconvinced tone that didn't even fool her.

"You don't know that," Carly answered seriously, her face moving upwards to face Shelby once again.

"You're right, I don't know that for sure. But I have to hold onto that hope, for you, and for me." Shelby offered sincerely.

"I wish I could believe that was true." Carly murmured morosely.

Ever since Carly had told Spencer, Sam and Freddie about her feelings for Shelby from the get-go, she had been surprised when Freddie had taken the news that she was in love with another girl really well. He'd even made an effort to try and accept this new development in Carly's life by getting to know Shelby better. Carly had been sure that everything and everyone in her life would begin to fit together.

So naturally, Freddie's melt-down at Gibby's birthday party a few weeks ago came as a surprise to everyone, especially Carly. She should've seen it coming, especially after he had walked in on her and Shelby kissing one day in her bedroom. He had been so flustered and embarrassed, and then the avoidance had begun. Carly barely saw Freddie after that save to rehearse for iCarly. But not at school, not even at the Groovy Smoothie, their favourite haunt.

Sam obviously didn't care as much about not having to put up with Freddie's company, but it worried Carly to no end. Then Carly saw Freddie drinking out of a flask in a corner of the room at Gibby's apartment; naturally, she confronted him about it and all hell broke loose at the party. All of his resentment and sadness about her falling in love with a girl (and Shelby Marx no less) suddenly came spewing out in noxious amounts: confusion about Carly's sexual orientation, teasing and ridicule from the other guys at school; the loss of the love of his life.

Carly hadn't known that Freddie was feeling all of this. So all she could do was stand there and take all of Freddie's accusations and insults. And that's when Shelby had stepped in to defend Carly and things had gotten ugly. Gibby and Sam had intervened at that particular moment, but not before Shelby had knocked Freddie flat onto his back for telling Carly that she's a tease who's always looked out for number one and takes other people for granted.

Freddie had left soon after and much of the euphoria from the party had been ruined. Carly broke down not too long after and went back to her own apartment. She ended up crying in Spencer's arms after relaying the sad affair. Spencer hadn't said much, only whispering soothing words in her ear and reassuring her that Freddie would come around eventually.

Carly remembered that night all too clearly; she could hear the rain pounding on her window while she lay in bed staring morosely at the window. Then the soft pitter patter of pebbles thrashing against the glass pane had come soon after. She leapt out of her bed and went to open her window to reveal Shelby standing on the carpet a few seconds later, completely rain sodden from head to toe having climbed up the fire escape while the storm raged on outside. Nothing could've prepared Carly for Shelby's remorse for hitting Freddie, going so far as getting down on her knees and gripping Carly tightly around the waist, begging for her forgiveness and not to leave her.

Carly had eventually pulled Shelby to her feet once more, wiping away Shelby's tears with her fingertips while looking deep into her eyes. She had never been angry with her girlfriend for defending her against her best friend, even though she didn't like that things had gotten out of hand the way they had. But she couldn't blame Shelby for standing up for her, even though the possible loss of her best friend was killing her inside. But she couldn't lose Shelby either, otherwise she was sure she wouldn't make it through any of this. After tending to the gash on Shelby's cheek where Freddie had accidentally hit her during the scuffle with Gibby and Sam's intervention, Shelby had ended up staying the night, lying in Carly's arms till the sun came up.

The response to their new romantic relationship had been mixed so far. Most people in both Shelby and Carly's everyday life hadn't known what to make of it in the beginning, unsure of whether they were just experimenting or in earnest. Some people like fans of Shelby's and iCarly had openly come out and denounced their relationship from the start, calling it disgusting and unnatural. The loss of iCarly viewership had been minimal (with a few negative comments on iCarly's website) and some of Shelby's sponsors had pulled out of their contract with her. And then there had been others who openly congratulated Shelby and Carly and were overtly accepting of their relationship. The rest merely took to staring and stopping whispered conversations midway whenever either Carly or Shelby entered a public place or school.

Shelby had acted nonchalant about the entire affair; it had taken Carly a lot longer to finally realise that people were going to think whatever they liked no matter what she did, or who she did it with. It was lucky that they lived in Seattle, renowned for its tolerance of its large gay and lesbian community. So in the end, Carly had decided to revel in her new-found happiness, even going so far as to flaunt it on occasion. And now because of it, she may have lost someone she really cared about. How could she have been so stupid? Even if Freddie had said that he was cool with it in the beginning, she should've known better. Of course Freddie would never accept hers and Shelby's relationship, he's in love with her, or at least he used to be. She tried to put herself in his shoes and imagine what it must be like to lose the one person you've ever fallen in love with.

A few days after the incident at Gibby's party, Carly found out that Sam had been going round to Freddie's apartment to check on him from time to time. Things had been icy between her and Shelby since the party, since Sam happened to think that Shelby shouldn't have hit Freddie. She agreed that Freddie had been out of line, but that his response was understandable and shouldn't have been that surprising to anyone, especially Carly of all people given their history. Carly accepted Sam's stance for the time being, even though she didn't agree with it entirely. But in spite of everything, Sam had proven her loyalty as a friend by standing behind Carly throughout everything in recent weeks and Carly couldn't have been more grateful for her best friend if she tried.

Things finally came to a head with Freddie when he winded up in the hospital after a car accident. Through some coincidental meeting, Freddie had ended up at a house party of a friend of Griffin's, Carly's ex-boyfriend. Freddie had ended up drinking and smoking goodness knows what during the course of the night before taking a joyride in a car belonging to a fellow party-goer and crashed it into the wall of a house down the street from the party. He'd been very lucky, having sustained a few injuries like a bruised Adam's apple and a broken arm. As for the destruction of property, the car owner hadn't tried to sue Freddie or have him arrested since he was a drug pusher who wanted to avoid any trouble with the cops.

Carly visited Freddie in the hospital every single day after the incident. He apologised about what he said to her at Gibby's party and Carly had said that she forgave him. But things were far from okay yet. Freddie had been going for counselling in recent days to get to the bottom of why he had acted out the way he had. He had told Carly in so many words that he wanted to be accepting of hers and Shelby's relationship, but he didn't know if and when that was even possible at this point. Carly had appreciated his honesty, but it had still hurt, knowing that their friendship may never be the same again after this.

"Carly…" Shelby murmured, bringing Carly out of her deep reverie.

Carly blinked several times while staring long and hard back into Shelby's brown eyes. Things weren't perfect now, but she knew one thing for certain. All of these obstacles of late had brought her and Shelby closer together instead of pushing them further apart. And Carly was determined to make their anniversary a night that they wouldn't forget for a long time to come.

"Hey, where'd you go?" Shelby asked lightly, her hands caressing Carly's neck.

Carly felt millions of goosebumps erupting on her body at Shelby's touch. It was hard to focus on anything constructive or otherwise when Shelby touched her, or even just looked at her most days. She sincerely hoped that the sensation would never fade away over time.

"Not too far, just strolling through the last few weeks in my head. But I'm back now, promise." Carly affirmed seriously with a small smile on her face.

"Good, 'cause I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. I know these past few weeks have been hard on you with Freddie and everything else going on. I just need you to know how much it means to me that you've given this…us a chance." Shelby murmured earnestly while running her index finger along Carly's jaw line.

"There's no other way for me now, even if I could choose. I can't imagine not having you in my life in any capacity. I have to be with you, Shelby." Carly answered truthfully while resting her forehead against Shelby's.

"I feel the same way about you; it's like choosing between breathing and not breathing. I just wish I could do more to make this easier on you." Shelby whispered while closing her eyes.

"You already do, just by being here with me throughout everything. That's all I need to get by on." Carly whispered back, her hands cupping Shelby's cheeks.

Carly finally moved her forehead away from Shelby's to place a searing kiss on Shelby's mouth instead. Shelby reciprocated eagerly, deepening the kiss while her lips glided urgently across Carly's. She sucked in a shuddering breath at the feel of Carly's hands in her hair, her lips pressing tiny kisses along her collarbone and her chin before finding her mouth once more. Carly in turn moaned softly at the combination of water from the shower nozzle overhead and the soft touch of Shelby's fingertips grazing against her stomach while Shelby's tongue flicked against her lips. When they finally broke apart, Shelby pulled Carly closer and hugged her wet torso while they stood together in the shower.

"Then I don't wanna waste any more time. Let's kick-start this anniversary into overdrive." Shelby whispered softly in Carly's ear.

"I like the way you think, Shelby Marx." Carly murmured gently before planting a small kiss on Shelby's shoulder blade as they continued holding each other.

* * *

**Author's Note: So that's the end of the first chapter. A bit of a long-winded explanation for Freddie's sudden change of heart about Carly and Shelby's relationship, but I hope it made sense. A big thank you to sockstar for giving me inspiration to write that in. Now that Shelby's cheered Carly up again, how will the rest of their anniversary night go? Stay tuned for chapter 2...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hey, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of this three-shot, even if part was a bit more angsty than my usual fluffy stories. I just want to say thank you to everyone who followed "Up Close With Shelby Marx", your support means a lot. And I really hope you'll like this M-rated series. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own iCarly or femslash in general. Bummer.  
**

* * *

Carly and Shelby exited the elevator in Bushwell Plaza together around 6pm, walking hand in hand and laughing at Lewbert's expense.

"I still can't believe you punched him out when he wouldn't tell you where I went." Carly stated laughingly, recalling the day Shelby came to find her at the 'Jungle Gym' to tell her she was in love with her.

"Ok, I may have exaggerated when I said I punched him out. But I was pissed enough to do it, he was being such a jerk and for no apparent reason at all." Shelby countered, matching Carly's tone.

"Shelby, this is Lewbert we're talking about. He doesn't need a reason to be a jerk, he just is." Carly reminded reasonably.

"True. I still can't believe that Freddie's mom actually dated him." Shelby remarked in an amused tone.

"Ew, why would you go and ruin the romantic ambience by bringing that up? Do you want me to puke all over dinner?" Carly teased lightly while unlocking her front door with her set of keys.

"Ew, of course not. That would ruin the romantic ambience way more than the idea of Lewbert and Mrs. Benson dating." Shelby teased as she stood in the Shays' living room.

"SPENCER, I'M HOME!" Carly hollered at the top of her lungs.

"That's weird, he was here when I called him 30 minutes ago to say we were on our way over here," Carly mused curiously while glancing around the apartment.

"What's that on the kitchen counter?" Shelby asked wonderingly with a gesture of her index finger.

Carly shrugged and strolled over to the counter and picked up a folded slip of paper.

"Hey, Carly-Bear. Spending the night at Socko's, will be back tomorrow afternoon. Love, Spencer." Carly read aloud.

"So we have the apartment to ourselves?" Shelby asked in an intrigued tone while sidling over to Carly and wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's waist.

"I'm just as surprised as you. I told Spencer that I was cooking a special dinner for the two of us; I figured he'd at least be around to offer to be our waiter for the evening." Carly mused, half in amusement, half in disappointment.

"I guess that must mean he trusts me to be around you when you're home alone." Shelby reasoned lightly while pushing a strand of Carly's hair out of her face.

"Or he couldn't pass up an opportunity to watch 'Galaxy Wars' in HD on Socko's brand new TV." Carly quipped dryly.

"Either way, I'm glad there won't be any interruptions tonight," Shelby murmured smoothly while planting a quick kiss on Carly's lips.

Before Carly had left the apartment earlier to meet Shelby at the 'Jungle Gym', Spencer had sat down with her and had a discussion with her about 'love and responsibility' as he put it. After that talk, Carly had felt sure that Spencer would be checking in on her and Shelby at intervals during the course of the night after she informed him about hers and Shelby's anniversary plans. Maybe Shelby was right; maybe Spencer was finally starting to trust her to make her own decisions. The thought made her smile while she leant in and placed a chaste kiss on Shelby's lips in turn.

"Me too. Why don't you head up to the iCarly studio so long and wait for me? I'm just gonna get the food out of the oven and heat it up." Carly suggested delicately.

"Ok, don't be too long." Shelby answered with a small smile before entering the elevator.

Carly smiled at her girlfriend one last time before the elevator doors closed with a soft ding. Then she bent over to open the oven door and frowned – none of the sealed cookware she'd placed the food in was in the oven.

"What the-" Carly broke off abruptly, wondering what had happened to her food.

Had Sam been here earlier and already polished off all the food? Carly sincerely hoped not. She loved her best friend to bits and pieces, but there were limits, especially when it came to her special dinner that she'd prepared for her and Shelby. Carly checked the refrigerator just to make doubly sure before deciding to go upstairs and tell Shelby that they'd have to order in.

Shelby was standing in front of the elevator doors when Carly stepped out of the elevator with a resigned expression on her face.

"The food's not downstairs in the kitchen. I think we're gonna have to order in," Carly stated dejectedly.

"No need. It's already up here." Shelby answered brightly.

Carly followed Shelby's gaze and gasped loudly. A wooden round table had been placed near the window just above the floor where she, Freddie and Sam usually filmed iCarly. And on the table were two silver trays covered with metallic lids and a pitcher of Carly's favourite flavoured ice-tea. But Carly was most surprised by the array of candles spread out across the studio, already lit and filling the entire room with a natural glow.

"Spencer did all this?" Carly asked in amazement, hardly daring to believe her eyes.

"Either it was him, or Sam. But I doubt that Sam would've left the food untouched." Shelby joked pleasantly.

"Very true." Carly agreed, her eyes still wandering all around the room.

"But when did he set everything up? He must've just slipped out when we came into the apartment." she added as an afterthought.

"Your brother really is full of surprises." Shelby mused, lacing hers and Carly's fingers while she too stared around the room.

"He sure is," Carly agreed once more.

If this wasn't confirmation that Spencer was taking great strides to be supportive of hers and Shelby's relationship, then Carly didn't know what else would count in her books. In spite of his eccentric behaviour, Carly knew her older brother cared about her a great deal and just wanted her to be happy. Knowing that Shelby was part of that happiness now made Carly feel lighter than she'd felt in weeks.

"Shall we?" Shelby asked cordially of Carly.

"Absolutely." Carly responded, not taking her eyes off of Shelby while her girlfriend took her hand and led her towards the table.

Carly grinned widely when Shelby opened up her chair for her and waited for her to sit down first before taking her seat.

"So…what are we having for dinner?" Shelby asked eagerly while rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

"My speciality: Spaghetti Taco's, but with a twist." Carly answered mischievously.

"Go on, take a bite." She urged impatiently.

"Why? Has it been poisoned?" Shelby asked teasingly, causing Carly to scowl at her.

"N-o! I just really want you to be the first to try it." Carly responded in a dignified tone.

"Okay, okay! I'll try it." Shelby remonstrated while throwing her hands up in surrender.

While grinning at Carly, Shelby delicately picked up a taco shell in her hands laden with spaghetti and marinated meatballs and bit into it gently. Carly watched Shelby's expression eagerly after she had taken her first bite.

"Well? How does it taste?" Carly questioned enthusiastically.

"Delicious, but familiar. It reminds me of my grandmother's meatballs." Shelby replied truthfully, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"That's because it is your grandmother's meatballs. Well, not her meat balls per se, but her recipe." Carly offered boisterously, like she'd been dying to tell Shelby that all day long.

"Nana gave you her meatball recipe?" Shelby demanded in awe, her jaw dropping comically.

Carly nodded vigorously in response with a wide smile on her face.

"I can't believe it, Nana's never given anybody that recipe before. I don't even know what the recipe is for the marinade, and I'm her granddaughter." Shelby stated in disbelief.

"I know, right? I told her a few days ago that I wanted to cook you dinner for our 3-month anniversary and she offered to help me make something special." Carly replied happily.

"I guess both Nana and Spencer are full of surprises." Shelby remarked cheerily, inwardly marvelling at Carly's transports of delight.

Knowing how set she was in her ways, Shelby had been surprised when her grandmother had been so supportive of her and Carly as a couple right from the get-go. Like Spencer, Shelby's grandmother had given Shelby many a speech about responsibility and the like. But at the end, she had always told Shelby to follow her heart and given her lots of advice throughout the weeks on the days when people were giving Shelby and Carly a hard time about their relationship. Her grandmother meant the world to her and Shelby didn't want to think about how she would've survived these past few months without both her and Carly.

"They sure are. But seriously, how does it taste? I didn't overdo it with the marinade, did I?" Carly asked nervously, her eyes locked on Shelby's.

"No, of course not, it's amazing. But even if it didn't taste great, the fact that you went all to this trouble to make this night special for us means everything to me. Thank you, Carly." Shelby said sincerely.

"You're welcome, Shelby." Carly answered, matching her tone.

"Before we eat, I wanna give you your present." Shelby added abruptly.

Carly chuckled when Shelby hopped out of her chair and began rummaging around in her purse.

"You got me a present?" Carly asked wonderingly, her eyes trained on Shelby's back.

"Of course. It wouldn't be an anniversary without presents." Shelby answered simply.

Then she came to stand in front of Carly, a nervous expression on her face while she handed Carly a medium-sized velvet box.

"Open it," Shelby urged with an anxious smile on her face.

Carly glanced at Shelby's face inquiringly before opening the velvet box. She gasped loudly when she saw what was inside.

"Oh my gosh," she whispered in amazement while cupping her mouth with a hand.

It was a platinum necklace with a sparkling diamond-encrusted heart-shaped pendant.

"It's more beautiful in person. I can't believe you remembered," Carly remarked wonderingly when she finally gazed at Shelby.

"We walked past that jewellery store in the Crown Ridge Mall about a dozen times, it was hard to forget." Shelby offered abashedly.

"Do you like it?" she asked softly.

"I love it. But it's too expensive, Shelby. I can't accept this." Carly protested weakly, attempting to push the velvet box away from her plate.

"Yes you can, Carly. It's a gift from me to you because it's our anniversary and because I love you. I want you to have it, please." Shelby implored urgently.

Shelby read the look of longing in Carly's eyes accurately and smiled on the inside, knowing that Carly had already lost the battle with herself when it came to jewellery.

"Will you please put it on me?" Carly asked meekly.

"Sure." Shelby answered readily.

Carly handed her the necklace and Shelby stood behind her, pushing Carly's hair away from the nape of her neck. Then she opened the clasp on the necklace and placed it around Carly's neck. Carly glanced down at her neck and touched the necklace, the soft metal cool against her skin.

"It looks perfect on you." Shelby murmured earnestly.

"Thank you, Shelby." Carly answered sincerely.

She pulled Shelby's face in closer and kissed her languidly on the lips for a few seconds. Then she gave a comical start, which threw Shelby off momentarily.

"I have to give you your present too!" Carly exclaimed, practically bowling Shelby over as she got up from her chair.

Shelby held back laughter as Carly jumped down the wooden step and ran towards the car parked in the corner of the studio.

"You hid it in the car?" Shelby asked curiously while watching Carly bending over the back seat.

"Uh-huh. I wanted to give it to you after dinner. But since you already gave me my present…" Carly trailed off.

She was back at Shelby's side two seconds later with a large shopping bag in her hand, filled with filmy purple-coloured paper which stuck out like tufts of hair at the top.

"Go on, take a peek." Carly implored eagerly while handing the bag to Shelby.

Shelby smirked at Carly's happy features momentarily before taking a look. She brought out a pair of gold-coloured boxing gloves tied together with thin gold-coloured string.

"I know you already have a pair of boxing gloves. But I wanted you to have a pair that sets you apart from your opponents. I had your name engraved on each glove, as well as on the golden robe I got for you." Carly explained rapidly to cover up her nervousness.

Shelby took out the robe from the bag too and examined the texture, which felt like fine silk in her fingers. Sure enough, on both the gloves and her robe were the words 'Shelby Marx' stitched in black thread.

"Do you like it?" Carly asked nervously while biting her bottom lip.

Shelby felt a lump rising in her throat at Carly's creativity while staring at the objects in her hands. But she quashed it quickly, turning to face Carly with a broad smile on her face.

"I love it. This is the sweetest thing that anyone's ever done for me. Thank you, Carly." Shelby replied genuinely, leaning in to kiss Carly gently on the lips.

"Seriously, this is amazing. How did you get these engraved?" Shelby asked curiously.

"It wasn't easy, but I managed to purchase the gloves and the robe from a special manufacturer who makes fighting kit for MMA fighters." Carly explained casually.

Shelby smiled once more and hugged Carly briefly before planting a small kiss on her forehead.

"I think this anniversary is off to a great start so far." She declared seriously, causing Carly to smile back at her in turn.

The rest of dinner was spent talking and laughing together about the most random things, spanning from some of the dumbest fighters Shelby had to face off with in the ring to some of the strangest guests iCarly's ever had. Carly excused herself at one point and skipped downstairs to get Spencer's special chocolate pudding that he'd made for dinner out of the refrigerator. When they were finished, Shelby took the dishes downstairs and put them in the dishwasher. When she came back up to the studio, Carly had extinguished all the candles and switched on the disco ball overhead, the entire room swimming with numerous colours dancing off the wooden floor and the surrounding walls. A romantic ballad was playing through the speakers and Carly stood in the centre of the room, a small smile etched on her face.

"Wow…" Shelby trailed off, mesmerised by the image of Carly standing underneath the glittering lights.

"Dance with me?" Carly asked sweetly while extending her hand towards Shelby.

"Sure." Shelby answered with a wide smile on her face.

A second later, her hand was in Carly's and they were swaying together under the glowing lights. After Shelby had twirled Carly away from her, Carly moved back into her personal space and rested her head on Shelby's shoulder, their fingers still laced together. Shelby's other hand was resting on Carly's back while they moved together on the spot.

"I can't believe you ate four Spaghetti Tacos in one sitting." Carly murmured laughingly after a few seconds of silence while they continued dancing together.

"Hey, what can I say? Being a professional fighter and training around the clock means that I'm hungry all the time." Shelby retorted lightly.

"If I recall, you had more than one helping of Spencer's special chocolate pudding earlier." She added devilishly, causing Carly to roll her eyes.

"Okay, you have me there. Now, I'm probably gonna have to work it off in the gym pretty soon, right?" Carly asked with a pout.

"No way, there's absolutely nothing wrong with your body, don't ever change it. I love you just the way you are." Shelby answered truthfully, her eyes locked on Carly all the while.

"You're just saying that; you've practically got muscles coming out of your ears." Carly chortled lightly.

Shelby laughed uproariously in response before her expression turned serious once more.

"I mean it, Carly. You're perfect." Shelby reiterated earnestly.

"Well, in that case, you're pretty amazing yourself, Shelby." Carly responded sincerely with a big grin on her face.

"How did I get so lucky to find someone like you who loves me just for me?" she asked wonderingly while staring deep into Shelby's brown eyes.

"The same way I got lucky finding you for the exact same reasons, I guess." Shelby answered simply.

"I love you so much," Carly whispered in a husky tone.

The way Carly said the words literally made Shelby's heart thump even harder in her chest. She leant forward, moved her hands towards Carly's neck and kissed her gently on the lips. Carly's hands in turn wound their way around Shelby's waist and pulled her desperately closer as she deepened the kiss. She emitted a shuddery breath when Shelby's hands moved towards her hair, drawing her in even more with her warm grasp. Shelby groaned against Carly's mouth, wanting nothing more than to just stay like this forever.

"Stay with me tonight." Carly declared in a breathy manner when they finally broke apart.

This statement wouldn't have surprised Shelby in the least (given all the times she had slept over) if not for the look in Carly's eye.

"You mean…?" Shelby asked tentatively.

Carly bit her lip nervously and nodded slowly.

"Carly, are you sure? Just because we're celebrating a particular milestone in our romantic relationship, it doesn't mean that we have to take that step tonight." Shelby offered gently.

"You mean you don't want to?" Carly asked softly, feeling her heart deflating bit by bit.

"No, of course not. I want to, so much. I just don't wanna pressure you into anything, especially if you're not ready or upset about everything that's happened lately with Freddie." Shelby persisted seriously.

"That's exactly why I want to do it tonight. We've been walking on egg shells the past few weeks because of Freddie, waiting for him to get over me when the truth is that that might never happen. I'm not being heartless; I want Freddie to be ok with all of this eventually. But I don't want to put what you and I have on hold till he does. You mean so much to me, Shelby; I just wanna be able to show you." Carly answered emphatically while caressing Shelby's cheek with gentle touches.

If it was possible, Shelby felt a little more light-headed at this particular juncture in the conversation.

"Are you sure?" she asked once more.

"I've never been more sure of anything than you and me, in every way." Carly replied seriously.

"I feel the same way." Shelby stated, matching her tone.

She leant down and kissed Carly once more. Carly wrapped her arms tightly around Shelby's neck as their lips moved together harmoniously. She squeaked against Shelby's mouth when her girlfriend suddenly lifted her off the ground and into her arms as she began walking them towards the elevator.

"Boy am I glad that you work out right now," Carly murmured in a dreamy tone while nuzzling her cheek against Shelby's neck.

"I'm so glad you approve." Shelby remarked smoothly while Carly reached out and pressed the elevator button.

And just for the heck of it, Shelby began running her finger underneath Carly's shirt on a particularly ticklish part of her hip, loving the sound of Carly's shrieks and giggles as they rode the elevator together to her bedroom.

* * *

**Author's Note: It just wouldn't be iCarly on any level without some romantic music and slow dancing. Except this is with two girls. Still, I hope you all liked this one. Now that Shelby's decided to stay the night at Carly's, what will happen next? Hmm, interesting...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hello again! Is anyone else getting tired of the constant greetings since I'm posting all of this in one go? Just thought I'd be polite. Part 3 of Carly and Shelby's anniversary is just below. As a considerate and responsible writer, I feel I must tell you all that there is a lemon up ahead in this chapter. If the idea of two girls gettin' their freak on (oh yes, I went there) gives you the heebie-jeebies, then it's best to get off the train now if ya catch ma drift. But if this does float your boat, then keep reading. Either way, I'm probably going to take a nap. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own iCarly. Quit asking already, you're bringing me down (lol).  
**

* * *

They entered Carly's bedroom a few seconds later, Shelby still holding Carly gently in her arms. The light of the bedroom lamp on the pedestal next to the bed provided the perfect backdrop of intimate mood lighting. Shelby had always liked Carly's bedroom; everything in it was colourful and warm, just like Carly.

Shelby finally put Carly back down on her own feet again and they just stared at each for the longest time. Then Carly eventually moved well into Shelby's personal space and captured her lips in one of many searing kisses that they would share during the course of the night. Shelby leant forward and applied more urgency behind her kisses, feeling her heart expanding and constricting in one fell swoop at the feel of Carly all around her. Carly stood on her tiptoes, her hands in Shelby's hair while she kissed her with everything she had, pouring all of her love into every single touch.

When they eventually pulled apart, Shelby was struck anew by how plump Carly's lips were and the way her brown eyes sparkled with flecks of gold from the glow of the lamp behind her. Shelby watched every move of Carly's as she began unbuttoning her favourite red and black checkered blouse bit by bit until her creamy arms and shoulder blades came into view amidst the paling light. Shelby followed suit and removed her own shirt, tossing it carelessly behind her before moving back towards Carly once more.

"You're so beautiful," she mumbled in a daze while she began kissing Carly's hands and shoulder blades.

Carly closed her eyes at the contact and arched into Shelby's chest, just holding her for the moment. Soon after, her hands moved down towards Shelby's jeans and began dragging the zipper down slowly and torturously. Shelby held her breath all the while, watching Carly's every move with repressed anticipation. Then her own hands pulled at her jeans, slipping them off of her legs and kicking them off impatiently.

Then her fingertips closed around the button on Carly's skirt, unclasping it quickly and pulling the zipper down at an agonisingly slow pace. Carly whimpered in response, torn between wanting to move things along quicker and just savouring the slowness of the moment. The offending skirt fell down to the ground and Carly kicked it off her legs before removing her tights too in quick succession.

They were both in their underwear now and Carly couldn't stop herself from staring in awe at Shelby. She was exquisite from head to toe: from the tautness of her round breasts seated snugly in her bra; the indentation of muscle along her arms and abdomen down to her sexy boy shorts which accentuated her slender thighs and legs.

Carly stepped away slightly from Shelby to remove her bra. The clasp came loose with a loud snap before Carly peeled the rest of it away from her body. Shelby could only marvel at the wondrous curvature of Carly's small perky breasts and it emboldened her to reveal herself too. Shelby unclasped her own bra and ignored it as it fell to the ground with a thud. Her trembling hands then moved towards her boy shorts and dragged them slowly downwards until they were free from her body. Her breath caught in her throat when Carly moved right into her personal space and ran her hands all along Shelby's arms and her stomach, savouring the warmth of her skin against her fingertips.

"Wow…" Carly trailed off softly, her eyes shining with happiness while she looked at Shelby.

Shelby smiled back at Carly, unable to formulate a coherent sentence at this particular moment in time.

Carly then bent over and pulled her own underwear down and kicked them off her ankles. Then she took Shelby's hand in hers and led her towards her bed. Even though she liked taking charge in initiating intimate moments between her and Carly, Shelby allowed Carly to push her down underneath the duvet cover and climb on top of her.

"You okay?" Carly asked in concern while listening to Shelby's rapid breathing.

"Uh-huh, I'm just a little nervous. This is my first time in well…a lot of this." Shelby admitted in a shaky tone.

"I know, this is my first time too. I promise I'll go slow, okay? We've got all night." Carly murmured huskily before pressing a reassuring kiss against Shelby's lips.

"Okay." Shelby answered more readily, a small smile curling on her mouth at the look in Carly's eyes.

Carly leant closer into Shelby until their faces were just millimetres apart. Then she let her nose graze against Shelby's momentarily before kissing her again, her tongue flicking out across the contours of Shelby's lips. Shelby moaned softly and reciprocated, tilting her head subtly to the side while placing her hands on Carly's shoulder blades. Then her lips left Shelby's and moved down to her neck and collarbone while she sucked gently on each of the pulse points. Shelby closed her eyes, loving the feel of Carly's lips on her skin, leading her into blissful contentment.

Finished with Shelby's neck, Carly moved towards the valley between Shelby's breasts and flicked her tongue across the moist skin. Then her dainty hands encased themselves around Shelby's breasts and began stroking them gently. Carly watched Shelby's every expression and reaction carefully during her ministrations, wanting to make doubly sure that she made this experience as sensual as possible for Shelby, for both of them. Every moan and gasp that escaped Shelby's lips left Carly with an overpowering desire to repeat the sound a second time with every stroke of her fingers.

Carly finally replaced her hands with her mouth, pressing baby kisses all around the curvy mounds. Shelby's body twitched and jerked of its own accord when Carly's tongue flicked across her taut nipples; it felt like her whole body was on fire and she craved more of Carly's touch to light that dormant flame inside of her.

Then Carly was moving further down south, her lips ghosting along the plains of Shelby's smooth abdomen and six-pack, lapping up the little drops of moisture which had gathered along Shelby's navel with her tongue.

"Oh God, Carly." Shelby moaned in rapture, arching at the sudden pool of warmth which coursed through her belly.

Carly grinned in spite of herself, loving the effect she was having on Shelby at this particular moment in time.

"Are you ready?" she asked softly of Shelby, whose eyes were shut tightly in the midst of her pleasure.

Shelby opened her eyes to stare at Carly, who was resting between her legs and nodded rapidly.

"Yes. Please, Carly." Shelby pleaded amidst her ragged breathing.

Carly took a deep breath and parted Shelby's legs as she began kissing her way along her inner thigh till she finally reached her destination: Shelby's heated centre. Shelby whimpered quietly at the first touch of Carly's tongue entering her inner walls, the sensation so strange and foreign to her. But her sense of foreboding finally gave way to inexplicable desire when Carly began stroking her bundle of nerves with her thumb, matching the movement of her mouth.

The rush of warmth which had begun in Shelby's stomach finally made its way down to her core, which was pulsing with heat aching for sweet release. It took all of Shelby's effort not to close her eyes and get lost in the sensation, but to keep her heavily lidded eyes focused on Carly beneath her, pleasuring her into oblivion while she gripped handfuls of duvet in her knuckles till they turned white.

"Aaargh, Carly! Oh, it feels so good. I'm…I'm so…close." Shelby panted hoarsely, trying her hardest not to let go just yet.

Carly stopped her ministrations momentarily to look up at Shelby, reading her feelings all too well.

"It's okay, Shelby. Just let go, I want to see you." Carly whispered soothingly.

With another flick of her thumb against Shelby's throbbing clit, Shelby finally let go and gave herself over to her first orgasm. Carly held on tightly to Shelby's thighs while Shelby bucked rapidly into her face, increasing the friction between them. Carly moved in time with Shelby's hips as they jerked haphazardly to and fro, Shelby's fingers threaded through Carly's luscious locks. Then finally, Shelby arched off the bed one last time, her release coming out in waves of electricity which made her skin damp and her entire body tremble all over.

"Oh God, that was amazing, Carly." Shelby croaked when her body finally stopped shivering.

"Good, 'cause it's not over yet." Carly answered slyly before thrusting her index finger into Shelby's moist centre.

Shelby's eyes rolled in their sockets at the feel of Carly's finger rubbing against her inner walls with patient strokes. She'd never felt anything like this before; all she knew for certain is that she wanted more. It wasn't long before her hips began moving in time with Carly's finger thrusts, working their magic on her for another approaching orgasm.

Carly inserted another finger and then a third, and Shelby found herself pitching over into sweet purgatory while she held on tightly to Carly's shoulders. Carly gasped at how tight and wet Shelby's walls felt as they grasped her fingers tightly. With one almighty lurch, Shelby succumbed to her feverish orgasm while Carly rode it out right along with her with quick and heavy thrusts that took her breath away. Shelby's heart was thumping wildly against her ribcage as Carly leant over her body and engaged her in a passionate kiss. As Carly made to lie on her side next to Shelby, she felt a firm grip on her forearm.

"And where do you think you're going?" Shelby asked in a low voice, pulling Carly on top of her once again.

"We're going to try and get some sleep." Carly offered nonchalently.

"Not yet, it's your turn now." Shelby responded firmly.

"Aren't you tired?" Carly asked wonderingly as Shelby began running her fingertips along her hip bone.

Then Carly emitted a squeal of surprise when Shelby changed positions and flipped her onto her back, pinning her arms down at her sides.

"I think you'll be surprised at how much stamina I have for the rest of the night." Shelby whispered seductively, her lips tantalisingly close to Carly's.

Carly sucked in a breath, the place between her legs pooling with anticipation at the thought. She leant in closer and melded her lips to Shelby's, her hand going towards the back of Shelby's head to cup it. Shelby mimicked Carly's earlier ministrations by sucking on Carly's collarbone and nipping gently at her shoulder blades before claiming each of her breasts with her hand and mouth. Carly inwardly marvelled at Shelby's ability to multi-task, even whilst in the throngs of ecstasy.

Shelby was certainly making up for lost time, taking the moment to kiss the tips of Carly's knee caps before moving lower to caress her legs in her hands with soft touches, causing Carly to tremble all over. Each touch was driving Carly crazy with want and desire while she blindly searched for anything to hold onto: the sheets beneath her, the headboard behind her, the intoxicating girl in front of her.

"Please don't tease me, Shelby." Carly whimpered through half-lidded eyes.

"Hmm, somebody's impatient. I'd better move things along then." Shelby mused devilishly while parting Carly's legs to let her in.

Carly was caught up in torturous rapture at the feel of Shelby teasing her wet folds, her fingers stroking her bundle of nerves like strumming a guitar. She started a slow pace with her tongue before thrusting faster and faster into Carly's heated centre over and over again, keeping a firm grip on Carly's thighs all the while. But before Carly could be sent over the edge, she groaned loudly in disappointment when Shelby pulled away from her abruptly and the pressure in her belly dissipated.

"Shelby…" Carly moaned painstakingly.

Shelby couldn't stop herself from giggling aloud at Carly's look of frustration. She moved slowly above Carly till they were eyeball to eyeball.

"I'm not teasing, I swear. I just wanna make this good for you, Carly. Do you trust me?" Shelby asked softly while caressing Carly's cheek.

"With everything I have." Carly answered without hesitation.

"Good. Then you're gonna love this." Shelby answered confidently while she began teasing Carly's inner walls gently with a lone finger.

But instead of continuing in this vein, Shelby moved right over Carly till her weight was pressing into her girlfriend's, but not so she was uncomfortable. Then Shelby placed that same hand which was currently stroking Carly at an angle between their bodies so that it brushed against her own clit as well. To complete her ministrations, Shelby began grinding her hips against Carly's, starting the movement slowly and sensually. Carly gasped in delight when she realised that Shelby was attempting to simulate sex the way a heterosexual couple might engage in, quite a feat for someone who didn't possess all of the necessary body parts.

"Oh God," Carly moaned while her body writhed and thrashed against Shelby's body overhead.

In the midst of her actions, Shelby still found a way to caress one of Carly's breasts, kneading the peak torturously in her fingertips. Carly was getting so aroused by all of Shelby's ministrations that she unconsciously wrapped her legs tighter around her girlfriend's waist to bring her even closer. Carly locked eyes with Shelby and felt her heart thumping wildly in her chest, causing warmth to flood her belly once more. Then her hips began moving rapidly with Shelby's, engaging in searing fluidity that brought them both closer to their final release. Carly could feel her climax building up slowly: tingling in her fingertips and flowing right down to her toes as Shelby thrusted relentlessly in and out of her with smooth strokes and caresses.

"I'm almost there, Shelby." Carly panted breathlessly, gasping in pleasure at the tight knot in her stomach which was beginning to unravel.

"It's okay, Carly. Just let it go." Shelby responded hoarsely, her body tensing up with sodden pleasure.

It was all too much; the feel of Shelby all around her, pressing her weight against her that was still too far away for her liking. And then Carly finally gave herself over completely to her orgasm, her hands wrapping around Shelby's back while Shelby rode it out with her. Even after experiencing her first orgasm, Shelby continued pleasuring Carly in every which way she could think of, seeming like she would never tire as they groped blindly for each other in the dimming light, satiating their desire bit by bit with rough touches and heady breathing. And when they were through, Carly wound up on top of Shelby once more, planting fervent kisses all along her neck and forehead in appreciation.

Shelby found herself lying on her side underneath the covers a little while later, propped up on her elbow with a content expression on her face.

"Stop it." Carly mumbled.

"Stop what?" Shelby asked with a small chuckle, amused with Carly's sudden annoyance.

"Stop watching me while I'm trying to fall asleep." Carly clarified painstakingly while cocking one eye open to stare at Shelby.

"Can't help it. You look so peaceful." Shelby offered unapologetically with a wide smile on her face.

"Really?" Carly asked wonderingly, abandoning the pretence of falling asleep while she moved closer towards Shelby.

"And beautiful." Shelby added more seriously, her finger tracing a thin line along Carly's forearm, causing her to shiver.

"You've really gotta stop saying things like to me." Carly stated lightly.

"Why?" Shelby questioned curiously.

"Because I might just start to believe you." Carly answered in a voice slightly tinged with sadness.

"What's wrong with that?" Shelby asked quietly.

"I don't ever want this to end. I wish we could just stay like this forever." Carly answered truthfully while moving into Shelby's waiting arms.

"Me too. Thank you for tonight, Carly. It was easily one of the best nights of my life." Shelby murmured softly while kissing the side of Carly's face.

"Better than knocking out a Russian girl's teeth?" Carly teased airily.

"Way better than that," Shelby growled in a low tone while kissing Carly's shoulder affectionately.

"It was my pleasure. Oh wait, I'm confused, it was your pleasure too, wasn't it? I think I lost count of the multiple orgasms." Carly teased, causing Shelby to laugh.

"It definitely was my pleasure too, since I aim to please." Shelby rejoined cheerily.

"That you did. Seriously, aren't you exhausted now?" Carly asked wonderingly, twisting her neck around to look at her girlfriend.

"Not so much. I'm a professional fighter, Carly. Stamina's my second name." Shelby pointed out cleverly.

"Hmm, I'll have to remember that for next time." Carly replied slyly, feigning concentration while pursing her lips.

"Next time?" Shelby asked with intrigue.

"Uh-huh. Maybe we could use some…toys." Carly answered mischievously.

"Carly Shay, you never cease to amaze me." Shelby responded laughingly while hugging Carly closer to her own body.

"I'm glad to hear you say that. If we're gonna make it for the long haul, we have to keep things interesting and spontaneous." Carly stated devilishly while changing positions to lie on Shelby's stomach.

"This is why I love you so much." Shelby declared earnestly, entwining hers and Carly's hands.

"I love you too, Shelby Marx. Don't ever change." Carly responded tiredly while they continued lying together.

"Right back at ya," Shelby whispered softly while playing with strands of Carly's black hair.

"Sweet dreams." She added.

"Sweet dreams, honey." Carly replied sleepily with a long drawn-out yawn.

Shelby watched Carly sleep for a few more minutes before she eventually fell asleep herself, everything feeling like it was finally falling into place.

* * *

**Author's Note: Okay, the lemon's over now. I tried not to go too overboard with any 'Mills & Boon' type scenario and terminology ('cause it's just plain creepy). And if you happen to be reading, baronvonmilo, here is a phantom playlist that I had in mind while writing this particular chapter:**

**1) "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry**

**2) "Never Think" by Robert Pattinson**

**3) "Darlin' Don't" by Stephen Fretwell**

**4) "Kissing You" by Desiree  
**

**Sorry, no Barry White this time, BVM ; ) Thank you so much to everyone for supporting my first attempt at a full-on femslash multi-fic, you guys are awesome. And now I really must get back to the Suite Life fandom, my home away from home. I know I keep saying this, but this time I mean it. Nobody's gonna rope me into writing another Creddie or Sharly story for a couple of weeks, and that's final! Lmao, Who am I kidding? If something good comes to me, you know I'm gonna write about it. So until, I've been your host and you've all been wonderful. Snapplelinz over and out!  
**


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